Worship and Witness in Ndolwa

This morning we woke up early at the guesthouse in Kamuli to get on the road back to Ndolwa. I was really hoping for a hot shower but the electricity went out, and what I thought was coffee was definitely something else, though I am not sure what! As we jolted along the road for an hour and a half to Ndolwa, I was reflecting on all the things we take for granted back home, not least of which are shock absorbers on our vehicles.

When we got to Ndolwa, however, all thoughts of deprivation were dismissed by the joyful singing and whole hearted dancing of the choir at True Worship Centre! As Martha said recently, “If there are corners in heaven, I want to be in the Africa corner!” The choir was sharply dressed in shirts and pants or dresses all made from the same brightly patterned green material, and as they sang they smiled and danced enthusiastically, with such expression in their bodies I could often get a sense of what they were saying even without understanding Lugandan. Anet, Pastor Godfrey’s wife, led the praise and at one point told the growing congregation “If you are not sweating, you are not yet worshiping Jesus with everything!”

While Pastor Ken and I stayed to preach at the all believers’ conference, Becca, Martha, and Charlie went out into the bush with Pastor Godfrey to bring food blessings to six impoverished families. The contrast between the praise of the believers and the poverty in which some of them live could not be starker. One woman, Esther, had been abandoned along with her eight children by her husband, and had then lost one of the children to disease. Another, Ani, suffers from some kind of mental illness, yet always makes it to church on Sunday. Bringing food blessings and praying with them seems such a small gesture, but it is so important that they know they are not forgotten.

The return of our outreach group was considerably delayed when a road hazard slashed one of the van tires, but Jawale expertly repaired and replaced it. We were again treated to lunch at Godfrey and Anet’s home, then we had to ‘hit the road,’ a very appropriate term for driving on this particular road. A live hen and a young goat rode home with us behind the back seat of the van, but were silent the entire trip, undoubtedly praying!

Thank you for your prayers, which have supported and sustained us!

Kirk and the Tired Travelers